Explanation of the Title:
The significance of the covenant relationship established between Jonathan and David.
Golden Nugget:
As the son of a defeated royal family, Mephibosheth had everything to fear when David ascended the throne. But instead of execution, he was invited to dine with the king for the rest of his life. Dr. Stanley teaches us that God has extended the same kindness and covenant love toward us through His Son Jesus.
Let’s begin today by discussing the meaning of a covenant. A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. They’re often accompanied by oaths, signs, and ceremonies. Covenants define obligations and commitments, but they are different from a contract because they are personal, and can be eternal.
Today, we want to look at the covenant between Jonathan and David. It has biblical significance all the way to heaven with God through Jesus. Jonathan and David made a covenant of friendship and peace that was to last through their descendants forever
1 Samuel 20:14-17
King James Version
14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not:
15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
So, my next question to the Holy Ghost was well how did this covenant come about. I had to travel back a couple chapters in first Samuel. So let’s read first, Samuel chapter 18, verses, three and four together.
1 Samuel 18:3-4 (New International Version) 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
We see here that this covenant between David and Jonathan was unconditional. It was also eternal. This was a very literal contract between these two gentlemen. This contract impacted all of their decisions. It was a covenant of love and loyalty to each other. It included their families and their children’s children.
Now, how this covenant came about? Well, we can gather from the scripture exactly what happened.
John stripped off his royal robe and garments and even his sword! Giving up these things to another meant, total loyalty, total protection, and total provision for the other and their families.
On the other hand, we find several other types of binding covenants. For example, one could take off their shoes, exchange a pinch of salt, here the of exchange garments, and the sacrificing of animals, and our covenant with God, through the blood of Jesus. Jesus is our blood covenant.
Example 1: The shoe!
To seal a contract, a man took off something and gave it to the other person. What was this? His shoe [sandal] (Ruth 4:8)
According to the custom of the day, before Boaz could legally marry Ruth he needed to get a release from a nearer related kinsman, known as a “guardian-redeemer”or “kinsman-redeemer” (Ruth 3:12-13). Even after this unnamed man decided that it was not financially viable for him to redeem Ruth (Ruth 4:1-6), to make the process legal, Boaz needed to seal the deal with a strange ritual. In a tradition that is perhaps comparable to the modern spit handshake or pinky swear, a shoe was removed and exchanged to ratify the agreement (Ruth 4:7-8).
Example 2: The pinch of salt! Salt was used as a form of payment when Roman soldiers were paid with salt. The modern word salary came from this practice of paying with salt. God is providing land for the Levite priests and He seals it with a “covenant of salt”( Numbers 18:19).Again when God gave the kingdom of Israel to David, He does it by a “covenant of salt.”
Example 3: Also, in ancient times there was a blood covenant involving the time of the wrist together.
In the shedding of blood they banded their wrists together. Theses covenants were not taken lightly! These covenants were meant to be eternal, and not meant to be broken! Today, we do not see people making this type of covenant. People do not want to submit or commit to anything. We can’t even give a handshake or our word as our bond.
So, these exchanges were what reminded the people involved of their contract. For example, the scar left from the wrist contract was a permanent marker of the binding contract.
Remember, One of the first covenants mentioned in scripture was between God and Noah. The sign that this covenant is eternal is the appearance of a rainbow. God’s covenant with Noah was a commitment to maintain the inherent relationship between Creator and creation; his relationship with the natural order – implicit in the act of creation – whereby he promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood.
So, when we look up at that rainbow, we know God exists, and he is in control. He is a covenant maker and not a covenant breaker.
One of the most familiar covenants in Scripture can be found in the 15th or 16th chapter of Genesis. This is where God made a covenant with Abraham. It was an unconditional covenant, because God said is what I am going to do plus nothing else. He said I am going to give you this land. I’m going to give you many children. And each nation from here after is going to be blessed. He did not give Abraham any room to challenge the covenant. He did not make it conditional. God simply said this is what I am going to do for you, Abraham, and this is my word wrapped up in a covenant.
Now, let’s get back to the covenant between Jonathan and David. Their covenant meant that their lives and the lives of their family members would be twined together.
Their covenant was based on two ideas. The first being reported in verse number three and that was love. 1 Samuel 18:3
And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. The second idea that the covenant was based upon was the fact that they were loyal to each other. Love, according to scripture is unconditional. These men did not mean for this covenant to be until one misunderstood the other or it was over, throw in the towel, because they got into an argument. This was an eternal contract of love and loyalty between the kingdom of Saul and the kingdom of David.
It’s interesting to note that this contract was bonded with everything they had on them. Jonathan gave his wealth to David as a pledge of his loyalty and love. Scripture tells us that Jonathan even gain his sword to David. Yes, is a tremendous expression of loyalty, because soldiers do not give up their weapons. Soldiers do not give up Their protection. this was a bonding of their faithfulness to each other. This contract meant that they were going to support each other, and that no harm would come from them toward their family members.
We see that yes, commitment play down in scriptures for several reasons. For example, when Saul and Jonathan died after the battle, and David became king, he searched the kingdom for a relative of Jonathan, because they were told that David would seek to kill all of Saul’s descendants. However, King David wanted to honor the commitment he made with Jonathan.
2 Samuel 4:4-5 (New International Version)4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
So we see here in scripture that the community did not understand that David and Jonathan had made a covenant together. We see in this scripture that the nurse feared for their lives so she fled, but in doing so hurt Jonathan’s son.
Now, before we go on, the Holy Spirit, wants me to bring out a fact for you. It is a fact that for at least 10 years Saul sought to kill David, but David would not leave a hand on saw. Do you know why? But now you probably should! The reason king David did not lay a hand on Saul was one, he was gods anointed and two he had a covenant with Jonathan that no harm would come to their family members by their hand. Isn’t that wonderful? I love it when the Holy Ghost gives us a spiritual nugget.
Now, let’s get back into scripture about David and Jonathan. Turn in your Bible to 2 Samuel chapter 9. We are going to see here, that the household of Jonathan and the household of Saul are dead, but the covenant is very much alive; so, King David sends for Jonathan‘s son
2 Samuel 9 (New International Version) David and Mephibosheth
9 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?
“At your service,” he replied.
3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”
Mephibosheth had been told all of his life that David was out to kill and destroy everything that reminded him of Saul. Can you imagine how he felt when the kings men came to get him? He was shaking in his boots. He didn’t know if he would be beheaded or hung. So, notice in verse six what happened when he came in front of King David. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
So, he fell down before the king. He thought he was going to loose his life, but David being a Godly king and remembering the convent showed him great kindness. David kept his word by keeping a cabinet. Then, David told him that he was going to restore back to him all that his family owned. In addition, David promised to take care of him the rest of his life. So, it was like David adopted Jonathan‘s son I has his own.
This type of covenant doesn’t mean much to us today, because we do not practice these customs. So, now let’s let the Holy Spirit teach us how we do use covenants today. God, the creator has made a covenant between you and I with the shedding of Christ Jesus is the lead in is a blood contract. It is conditional on the fact that we accept his sacrifice. However, once we have excepted Jesus Christ, confess*sins, and are restored to God the contract is eternal.
Now this blood contract was not just simply cutting the finger and intermingling the blood. It was not just binding the wrists together. No, God allowed his one, and only son to be nailed to the Cross. One nail in each wrist and a nail in his feet. He allowed the crown of thorns to be placed on his head, and he allowed a javelin to pierce his side.
What a covenant? An unforgettable covenant.
God said this is my covenant. I will redeem my creation. I will make children of God. He said that he would give us a seat at his table. He said that he would indwell us with the Holy Ghost. He said he would supply all of our needs.
From the moment that the covenant is instituted, God will equipped you for service in the kingdom. He will supply all of your needs. His yoke is easy, and we do not have to work worry about a thing.
Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version) 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Paul says, “do not be anxious about anything.” That means that we need to stop dwelling on the things that we are worried about and letting them paralyze our minds and our hearts.
The moment that we receive Jesus as our sacrifice and enter into the covenant of the Lord God will carry us through eternity.
This very thing that is true for Jonathan and David is the very same thing that God has done for us through Jesus Christ his son.
Hallelujah! A man! We should have shouting all over the house this morning!
What did David say to Jonathan? Whatever belongs to your father is now all yours. This what God say to us? We are all joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:17 says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”(NIV).
We have a seat in the heavenly’s. All of our needs meet.
Ephesians 4:30 informs us that we are sealed to the day of redemption.
The book of John tells us that we are a child of God. John 1:12 -13 (NIV) tells us the following: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. We are all children of God.”
We have Jesus living through us and for us in the following verse: John 14:20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
God gives us a life of abundance.”
Anyone in their right mind would not refuse Jesus Christ. Anybody in their right mind, would run to the altar and fall into the arms of a living God. Everyone should be shining evil, and clinging to the holy one.
2 Timothy 1:7. In a world full of challenges, trials, and uncertainty, the meaning of 2 Timothy 1:7 is a powerful reminder that we need. There’s no end of things that bring us great fear in this life. But this passage reminds us that God has given us the power to not only face those challenges, but overcome them.
God said that you don’t have to ask for it, because it’s already yours. Through the contract, through the covenant, God shows his love toward us. Scripture tells us that he lavishes us with his love. 1 John 3:1 states: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
Wake up Christian!
Wake up out of your slumber!
You should be on your feet!
You should be shouting victory!
You should have your head held up high and your shoulders back.
You shouldn’t have a worry in your heart! God has your back.
God is in control and God has promised that he is going to take care of you, because we are family.
God says pull up a chair and sit at my table!
Question for today is are you ready? Do you know this man Jesus? Are you ready to enter the covenant? Won’t you come today? Remember, this is a conditional covenant! You either have to choose the ways of the world, and the ways of the devil or gods way. The Bible calls you a fool if you do not choose to enter into this covenant. Enter into the covenant that is eternally secure.
